Tooth Decay

Tooth Decay

Caries, or tooth decay, is a preventable disease. Tooth decay may negatively impact your quality of life. Current research suggests that bacteria from the mouth have far wider associations with other medical problems.

When your teeth and gums are consistently exposed to large amounts of starches and sugars, acids may form that begin to eat away at tooth enamel. Carbohydrate-rich foods such as candy, cookies, soft drinks and even fruit juices leave deposits on your teeth. Those deposits bond with the bacteria that normally survive in your mouth and form plaque. The combination of deposits and plaque forms acids that can damage the mineral structure of teeth, with tooth decay resulting.